Crafting an Anti-Sales Letter that Sells Itself

Posted on 11. Jan, 2010 by Holly in Blunt Honesty, Make Money

What Is an Anti-Sales Letter?

An anti-sales letter is a term I am using to describe a product sales page that is absent of hype and typical sales page elements. It differs significantly from the majority of the sales pages that are online, because it uses methods that are not generally seen on a sales page. Rather than starting with a “Dear Friend, How would you like to…?” it will be less selling and more telling.

Typical Internet Marketing Sales Letter Similarities

In the Internet Marketing sector online, sales pages tend to hold a lot of similarities:

Bright Red H1 Headline, in large bold-face print – with subheading below it, ie: “How would you like to make…?”
“Dear Friend” then onto a very long letter of sorts to the reader
Unattainable Promises of “instant” riches
Offering or promising so much, without any solid advice or honesty involved
Often the sales letters are impersonal and not instilling any trust – or based on lies

Why People are Sick of the Sales Letters

In my personal opinion, through observation and direct involvement with Internet Marketing over the past 5 to 6 years – people are fed up with the typical sales letters. Typical sales letters hold many similarities and prospective buyers are sick of the hype. Almost all of us, at one time or another, have been pulled into a sales letter that was so enticing, purchased and not been satisfied with the product. It may not have lived up to the colorful sales letter or may not have made us the kind of money that the sales letter promised. If that has happened once, it makes it difficult to trust when buying online. If it has happened more than once – the distrust greatens even more and it makes it very difficult for someone with a legitimate product to sell.

I think people are sick of the sales pitches because no one likes to be sold to – and people are truly seeking help and advice and would appreciate some real answers, regarding a product before they purchase. I understand that people pay copywriters thousands of dollars to whip up a “Dear Friend” sales pitch – but tables are turning and I believe those are much less successful than in the past. The economic situation is dire and the last thing a person needs is to lose their last glimmer of hope on a faulty sales pitch and under-delivering product.

My Experiences with Anti-Sales Letters

I have never been a sales person. Some people are good at selling, and even though at times they obnoxiously try to close the deal, maybe something in their personality works for them and you end up buying based on that alone. I’m not sure – but I have attempted to work in sales jobs – such as: selling Kirby Vacuum cleaners. I was horrible at it. I sold two vacuums, both to relatives! I went to tag-along with a couple of other guys who were making a great living selling these things, and they were great salesmen. They were endearing, they were charming and their personalities really took them far. When you are doing online marketing, and it is not face-to-face, you need people to get to know you. Some people may be too private to share anything – but in the end, that will hurt your business.

When I started selling my book, “Honest Riches,” the first sales letter was probably horrible – but it was truthful and it was me. I don’t think I over-hyped anything and I basically said that I learned some methods that made me a great deal of money, and I shared the details of that. With the simplest of sales letters – at that time – I was making a lot of sales. My actual e-book cover graphic was so unprofessional – I cannot believe I made the amount of sales I did. If you want a good laugh – take a look at it here – I found it in an old archive! I was making about $300 a day in book sales at that time, when the book was selling for $9!

Since the guide started selling, the book of course has drastically changed and it’s been updated and the graphics are different and more modern. The sales page has been updated and will be updated again soon – but overall I’ve tried to keep things REAL and true. The more down-to-earth I make the sales letter, the more e-mails I receive directly from customers who tell me that they truly appreciated that I was a real person and didn’t over-hype things. It wasn’t just one single person who e-mailed and told me that – but hundreds have said that over the years. I know that means something. At times I have looked back and wondered how, with so little promotion and so little hype, could it “sell itself,” but I now believe it is due to the personal touch. If you have a product to sell, I recommend making it personal. If you truly stand behind your product and are proud of it, you should not have a problem putting a face to it and making things personal.

Recommendations for Anti-Sales Letters

Although some of the styles of sales letters are totally fine, and the headline and subheading are pretty standard – there are other elements that can be changed to greatly help your sales.These recommendations are just based on my personal experiences and opinions.

Forget the “Dear Friend” Opening and find a way to write the opening in a more personal manner
Somewhere in the sales page, introduce yourself briefly and share some background info about who you are and why they should trust you or listen to you as an expert in your field
Photos help to make you “real” – use them on the sales page
Tell it like it is – and explain clearly who your product is ideal for – and even let them know that if they may not be up-to-it, to not buy

Don’t Do This, Ever

or this:

(I went to Clickbank and clicked on a random product and the pitch page – which is where I got the examples from above.) The person who created the sales page with the text shown above, is making a load of money. But, that absolutely does not mean that his buyers will as well. The unfortunate fact is, that the majority of the people who buy these products online may not have “all their financial worries resolved forever.” That type of promise being made to a person in a sales letter is a LIE. It is something unproven and not a fact- and although the sales page writer is making money from selling his product, if what he has promised is not being delivered, his customers will eventually dwindle away. The last graphic above, where it states “it’s so easy you’re going to laugh your socks off when you see how to do this,” is also a LIE. If it were so easy to be so successful online, we’d all be billionaires. It takes time and it takes an effort.

Just Stand Out from the Crowd

“Currently there’s a 54-to-1 scam ratio among work-at-home job leads on the Internet,” according to Christine Durst, StaffCentrix co-founder. So that means for every 55 websites that promote work at home guides or products, 54 of them are scams. My advice – is to stand out from the crowd – and although some of the biggest “scammers” are making a lot of money, that will not go on forever. I think the most important thing is to build up a lasting relationship with your readers or buyers, and if you have a great product, they will recommend it to others.

To read another post about how not to craft a sales page, read it here from Anna Williams, a seasoned marketer. Excerpt from her article: “When I see sales pages telling me how so-and-so made tens of thousands of dollars in a week as a result of this-or-that, all that comes to mind is “put a lid on it please.” It’s not that it’s unrealistic. I think it is discouraging – for those of us mortals who have to put blood, sweat, and tears into building our businesses from the ground up.” - I agree!

If you have had any experiences with the above scenarios, feel free to share them in the comments section.

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Tags: best sales letter, Blunt Honesty, Holly Mann, sales letter failures, sales letters, Success, writing

18 Responses to “Crafting an Anti-Sales Letter that Sells Itself”

William

11. Jan, 2010

Dear Holly,

You are so right! The first thing I do when I see one of these sales pages that promises the moon is add it to my “never to visit again” list.

I just “love” reading the “success stories” as to how they “made tens of thousands in just one day etc.” and while it is true that you can make tens of thousands in a day when releasing a product or something similar, and while it might be true that they have done so. I have noticed that they tend to omit talking about, the months, if not years, of careful preparation that go into making something like that a success.

And as you so correctly state, while dishonesty might get one a quick sale, it will never get on a reliable customer base or following.

Honesty is the tried and true platform for continued and lasting success on any platform and any business model.

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Holly

11. Jan, 2010

Hi William – thanks for the comment. I feel the same way you do – about the sales letters and I generally click away from the site when I see the usual sales page, promising the world to me. And you are right- Honesty is the only true platform.

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Davin-The Viral Sanctuary

11. Jan, 2010

Excellent post Holly. I’m sure some copywriters are rolling over in their graves..but, I really love that post and agree.

You know, I read your partial post on this, and it really sunk in with me. I must tell you…this can play just as big a part in writing out emails to. One thing I will say, is it’s tough to break some old habits when you’ve been trained to do something a different way from copy writing courses and what not.

It made a great impact, and I went back and had re-written an email that had been written quite differently.

I definitely agree…the hype phase of marketing is on it’s last legs and people just don’t need it or want it!

Thank you so much for writing this…it’s really given me a bit of a wake up call in the way I write..and know it will help not only myself with my writing, but everybody that is reading.

Great stuff!
Davin

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Anna

12. Jan, 2010

Holly,

That is a really helpful post. And thank you for the mention I’m glad someone understands how I feel!

But seriously, I think this post can be very useful for other marketers, at least the down-to-earth type who like to look in the mirror in the mornings.

I will actually probably use it as a reference to refer freelancers (assistants) to, when I get them to help create or fix up sales pages for me! (For example, some niche products with resale rights are valid products, but they come with their own sales pages which can be pretty bad!)

I think it also helps us all to remember that we aren’t alone in disliking these types of approaches.

And that just because lots of people use them and say we should as well, doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s true.

Come to think of it, that goes for a lot of things in this world!

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Jacinta Dean

12. Jan, 2010

Hi Holly,

I completely agree. There are so many sales pages out there that are complete $%^&. Although I think with the FTC changes people may become a little wiser and start being honest with truthful testimonials.

My sale page for my first ebook is not the best and could definitely do with some tweaks, however it does get sales. Writing sales letters is not easy especially if you don’t know what to write, however I do agree about introducing ourselves and giving a history of who we are and why we have created the product.

I hope all is going well. I had better get back to my studies while my little one is having an avo nap. she doesn’t sleep much during the day anymore!

Be back soon!

Jacinta

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Bill Vlasak

12. Jan, 2010

“no one likes to be sold to ”
So true.We should be providing a solution to a problem,answer questions or provide honest information.Fulfilling a need is the key to sales,honesty and possible repeat sales.Also ,if a need is fully answered then word of mouth personally or virally on the net brings more customers than the original non-salesletter.
I too classity myself as a poor salesman because I cannot bring myself to exude hype of any kind even when I am convinced that the product I am trying to sell is the absolute “best”.
If anyone has perchance read any of my blog articles written by me personally,they will see that I am a story teller in my sales approach.Perhaps too subtle sometimes in leading into a sale but the transition still eludes me.I will try your approach for some products I have available and let you know how it works out.Then the subsequent success stories will be true and without hype,just as yours are.These in turn ,I can use as a non-selling salesletter.

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josh

12. Jan, 2010

Thanks for this Holly… I wa

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Josh

12. Jan, 2010

Thanks for this Holly… sorry about the premature post above. I accidentally hit enter.

This is a great insight and I hope the concept goes viral. Miss your presence at the forum.

Take care.

Reply to this comment
- Holly
  
  12. Jan, 2010
  
  Hey Josh – great to hear from you! Sorry I haven’t been around much lately – I have been trying to participate more at my other marketing forum – ww.honestmarketingmovement.com – I do miss connecting with you and everyone on the other forum though. Things are changing so much – hope you’re doing well and I hope we keep in touch.
Dave Polanco

12. Jan, 2010

There are many ways to manipulate copy in a sales letter
to generate that wow factor that raises the curiosity level
of the targeted reader. Unfortunately as Holly pointed out, not every word may be truthful.

People start to catch on after a while when the sales
letters practically jump out at them with flashy graphics and images promising the moon and the stars, then
fizzle out when the actual product arrives in casual
dress and no fanfare.

It becomes a let-down when expectations aren’t met.

Sales letters can be just as effective without the over manipulative hype and can be just as compelling as
hipey sales letters by providing the customer with verifiable information that they can place a genuine
value on.

If readers can take away valuable information from
a sales page, they’ll be more inclined to pursue the
offers and make purchases.

Thanks for the useful tips, Holly.

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Irish Tom

12. Jan, 2010

OK Holly, second time lucky!! (Since my comments yesterday did not take).

This article could not come at a better time..start of the new year..new resolves..optimism (although not with the Government!)..and a decision to suceed.

Your article hits the nail right on the head every time. I am so sick at receiving these long,long,long,long winded BS sales letters, some running into 8 pages and I guess like most people, I tend to scroll to the end to look at cost just to see what they are charging, but most times I just delete the site.
When reading these sales letters, if you have the patience, you end up being promised the earth, moon and the stars, BUT YOU LEARN NOTHING ABOUT THE WRITER!!.., and the product is probably crap.

I have been in Sales and Marketing Management for nearly 40 years, and in all my markets, especially marketing solutions for stabilization of historic buildings, I did not do a “hard sell”, but instead got to know my clients first and shared with them my experiences and whenever, I invited them along to see my work in progress.
This got me my sales (some multi-million pound jobs) and also established me as an expert to be consulted with in the future and also a pile of referrals.

Someone who knows my background recently asked me how that can be applied to the Internet Business, and it is very simple.
Lets use our friend Holly as a very good example.
Holly has her sites set up and included is a lot of info about her and her family, her background, how she started and above all her willingness to help others.
I have said many times, anyone thinking of starting up should read Holly’s book “Honest Riches”. In my humble opinion, I count this as my “Internet Bible”.
Holly also offers her other info site with superb people to help Newbies and vetrans as well.
If we want to succeed in this business, the first priority has to be HONESTY, and that is what you get from Holly and her friends. In todays market this is refreshing.

I was interested in Anna’s comments about sales letters she has used, and the rule I use is to download the sales letter from the associate site and then PERSONALISE IT to suit yourself. Add some info about yourself, how you started and bring the “human element” into the equation.

Based on the supreme B.S. “get rich quick” letters you see and receive, be honest with people. Advise them they can start off making a few hundred dollars initially until they gain confidence and they can then increase this up to whatever level they feel comfortable with.
Yes, it is possible to earn thousands of dollars a month, but it takes a lot of hard work and dedication, and yes making some mistakes (which you should learn from).

Finally, you have to treat internet marketing as a disciplined business, with set applied hours (to suit your lifestyle), and a daily “To Do List” and if you become disciplined and dedicated, seeking HONEST help where it is available, you CAN and WILL succed.
I was very successful in Ireland and I will also be successful here in Fresno,CA.

Good luck to you all and lets see plenty of “SMILES”.
Many of you will not know that smiles is the longest word in the English language, there is a mile between the two s’s.

Kind regards
Tom.

Reply to this comment
- Holly
  
  12. Jan, 2010
  
  Thank you so much Tom for re-posting this. You have many years of experience with marketing, and I really like hearing your take on all of it and methods you have used. Like you mentioned, I too skip over the hype and look for the price, when browsing sales pages. If it is way over the top on the BS scale – I just click off of it pretty quickly. The thing that is strange is that people who are not making money online sometimes create products to tell others how to make money online. I received an email from someone a few years ago and he asked me to review his new product – which was teaching others how to make money online. I asked him about how he uses the techniques in the book and stuff like that – and he wasn’t making any money online. So I told him that I couldn’t promote it to anyone. If he wanted to create a blog and learn and help others as he experienced things in marketing, that would be different. It’s hard to find legit products at times…especially on clickbank, in my experiences. With your experiences Tom, what other recommendations do you have for online marketers to succeed and really reach people?
Garry

12. Jan, 2010

Once again, a great post Holly. You seem to be on a roll!

And great follow up from the commentators. It’s all very helpful.

The topic is very apropos for things I have been thinking about these last few weeks. Recent experiences have made me ponder how we define “Honest.”

So many are throwing up the banner of “Honest” and way too many miss the mark when it come to actual application. The hype filled and exaggerated sales letter is one thing, but there are more subtle forms of scam and con.

I should formally sit down and draw up my personal guidelines for what it means to be honest, particularly in marketing. Among the points would be things like.

1. Is what I say true? Have I deliberately hid anything?

2. Do I feel anxious to persuade, or am I confident in people’s decisions once they’ve heard me out.

3. Have I exaggerated or resorted to hype?

4. Is it more important to me that I make a sale . . . or that I’ve helped someone make a good choice?

I love Holly’s manner in all this. The sense I receive is one of someone who is relaxed and real. Someone who has taken the time to know what she is talking about. The tone is informed conversation and respect.

Thanks again.

GARRY

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- Holly
  
  12. Jan, 2010
  
  Aww thanks Garry – you have given some very good points here for us all to consider. In the beginning, I think I just didn’t know anything about all the sales tactics and maybe didn’t know how to write what some people may consider – a good sales page. But what is “good” to them, or may be profitable – doesn’t need to be used by me. I know I have used wording in the past that is not totally clear – basically saying what I made from my efforts – leaving the reader to assume he or she may make that as well. But I have tried to skim through all my sites to remove any of that – and so there is no doubt that the person reading will need to put work into making their online business a success – and if he/she is not ready for it, to not even buy. When you tell someone that on a sales page – I think is is intriguing to the reader, while hopefully skimming through the people who are not serious or ready. Those who are not, may end up just buying and getting a refund immediately anyway – and I would rather not have them as customers. Also, it’s important not to use any shady wording in the sales pages – besides the moral reasons – the FTC has cracked down on all of it. So, Garry – thank you for your insight – I like the list of things you posted to take into consideration …they are wonderful.
David_G

20. Jan, 2010

Hi Holly – thanks for this. I’m new to this passion. I did look into MLM but didn’t like what I saw – which to me MLM seems to be another name for pyramid selling. But that is my impression.

What you say about the traditional sales letter or pitch does ring alarm bells for me. I used to work for sales guys for a computer tech company many years ago and I was always aghast at the methods they would use to clinch their sales.

Coming back to IM, I’ve noticed a couple of methods that is really annoying me.
2. Asking people to get something for free but automatically enrolling them on to a monthly scheme for a trial period. What they should do is give the option for the customer to enroll in that scheme instead of saying that the customer can cancel the 14 day, 30 day or 60 day trial, to prevent monthly billing to take place. I just click on the close button straight away when I see that. It just stinks of expecting the customer forgetting when the trial period is over so they are billed for the first month of a ’service’.
2. Not having paypal or Nochex (in the UK) as a form of payment is another alarm bell for me. With internet fraud on the increase asking for people’s credit card details even just to pay for postage of a free product just screams caution. Do you think a bank is going to reimburse a customer if they have given their card details over to some internet marketer?
3. Giving somebody a discount if they decide not to buy the product is also a screamer for me. I know it gives the impression to the customer that they are getting something for less.
4. The one time only offer – or this offer will only be shown to you once also scream at me. People don’t like to be pressured into buying something. I’m always amazed that Bob Proctor – one of the gurus from the law of attraction video Secret – uses this tactic in all his IM sales pages. It stinks.

These are all time honored IM methods I know but they give the industry a bad feel to customers.

Reply to this comment
- Holly
  
  20. Jan, 2010
  
  Hi David – thank you so much for your observations and input! Don’t worry about any grammatical mistakes! What you wrote is right on! I can tell you the truth – that I used to use one of the methods that you mentioned – the One Time Offer. The thing about this is – the style and presentation of the so-called “one time offer” that is only available that very second – always seems to be the same. This method has been copied and duplicated many times. To tell you the truth, I learned this by observing Mike Filsaime’s website sales process and then applied this to my own website (this was when I first started about 5 yrs ago) and the truth is – it made me a lot of money. At that point, since I was really financially struggling – I was so desperate to make money that it didn’t really matter to me what others thought of that method. I needed the money. And that truly brought in an extra $3600 a month in the beginning. i then started to receive some complaints that people were really annoyed by it and after a couple months of that I took it down – planned to put it back up but never did. That drastically dropped the amount of money I made that year or coming years I suppose. But there are other ways to do offers or upsells that do not pressure people through a tactic that is dishonest – saying it is one time only and stuff like that. You can achieve the same results with very high quality products and a real upfront process of selling. If you have some time, I recommend taking a look at http://www.davidrisley.com and observe how he runs his blog and business. His methods are making him a lot of money but his process is honest and not like the rest I have seen. I hope to duplicate some of his methods in the near future- just lacking in time now as I too have a young child! Ok this is getting long – I hope this helps.I agree with all that you wrote though. Hope you stop by again!
David_G

20. Jan, 2010

I’ve had a long day – I see some glaring grammar mistakes in my last post. Please forgive. Father of two young children trying to find a way to supplement his day job wages means I’m bleary eyed at present.

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David Gordon

25. Jan, 2010

I have to add that I’m a newbie so I have to put my hand up and say – if I was given the chance to make a heck of a lot of money so that I could quit my day job and assure that my family were looked after then I would probably do the same. Can’t be holier than thou here. I’m a keen follower of Bob Proctor’s products so I’d like to take advantage of any future launch he has.

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